JWM MAGAZINE 80 JWMARRIOTT.COM
MY PASSION
Gold Mettle
For a master jeweler, the best
accessories are about love, artistry
and standing the test of time.
IF YOU THINK THE FOURTH GENERATION
of the revered jewelers of Pforzheim, Germany-
based Wellendorff will have stiff, proper notions
about jewelry, think again. Wellendorff may be
more than 100 years old, and it may boast an
illustrious heritage of providing gorgeous jewels
to both Russian tsars and the British royal family,
but Christoph Wellendorff, a trained goldsmith
and head of marketing and sales for the company,
knows that joy and meaning are what matter
most in jewelry, just as they are in life. “My
greatest delight is to surprise my own wife with
jewelry,” Christoph says, adding, “and I mean
jewelry that has special significance.”
With the aim of delighting others, Wellendorff’s
jewelry is designed with great attention to its
sensual, tactile properties. “For me, it is always
about touch and feel,” Christoph says. This can
be seen (or, rather, felt) in Wellendorff’s famous
rope necklace, crafted of specially treated gold
that is, as Christoph says, like silk to the touch.
“The unique feeling is being able to recognize
jewelry with your eyes closed. Usually, jewelry is
judged on the basis of two dimensions: design
and value. But we have succeeded in introducing
a third dimension —feel. The rope and the magic
rings feel softer and smoother on the skin, the
neck or the finger than other jewelry.”
Christoph believes that jewelry takes on added
significance when it has a sense of permanence,
which lends a seriousness of purpose that
counterbalances the pieces’ sensual pleasures.
Christoph speaks fondly of an honored Latvian
customer who inspired a line of “Keep Me
Safe” enameled rings. “Her whole house was
destroyed in a fire, and the only thing the fire
brigade managed to salvage was a Wellendorff
rope that had a little Guardian Angel pendant
attached to it,” he marvels. “When she sent
us the charred necklace to be repaired, she
wrote a letter saying that this event showed her
how important jewelry can be, as it was the
only thing that she had left.” Her letter served
as inspiration, according to Christoph. “It
reminded us of the deep significance of jewelry,
giving joy and protecting,” he says. “Jewelry
goes far beyond its material value.”
Christoph believes strongly that jewelry conveys
this power and strength to the wearer. And he’s
not immune to its charms. “For my 50th birth-
day, my wife surprised me with a ring. Engraved
in the ring were the names of my three children.
Since my birthday, I have worn the ring every day.
What connects people to a piece of jewelry is the
story behind it, the memories and events.”
And if the jewelry is, like Wellendorff’s,
created from the finest gold, diamonds and
enamel, part of a centuries-old tradition? All
the better. Christoph takes the long view: “In
our Wellendorff Museum, we have an Etruscan
burial trove with a bronze sword. This show-
piece has existed for over 2,600 years. When
was the last time you gave a gift that would last
more than a generation?”— MARCIA LERNER
“WHAT CONNECTS PEOPLE
TO A PIECE OF JEWELRY IS
THE STORY BEHIND IT, THE
MEMORIES AND EVENTS.”
